Carlee Martinez added $7,352 to her Texas Circuit push between a 2.5-second win at Weatherford and a 1.9-second tie at Gladewater, giving the George West, Texas, cowgirl a late-season boost with her sights set on Waco.
Martinez, 20, won $4,813 at Weatherford, Texas, and added another $2,539 at Gladewater, where she split the win with Adisyn Henderson. The East Texas A&M senior-to-be is studying business administration with a minor in agriculture, and she was heading home from the College National Finals Rodeo when she talked through the two circuit wins.
Weatherford was the stronger setup of the two, but that didn’t bother Martinez a bit.
“The calves were pretty strong,” she said. “It was a pretty strong setup. The horse that I’m on, Suzie, she fits those really well, and she’s working good.”
Martinez had seen her calf run earlier in the slack and knew he was strong, but she thought he got better the second time through. Suzie—registered as Two Eyed Suzie Frost— handled the setup, and Martinez took advantage.
At Gladewater, Martinez and her dad talked through the start before she backed in the box.
“Dad and I talked about the start, and we went with it,” Martinez said. “I honestly thought I broke it. We pushed it pretty hard, but the calf ran with his head up, so it was nice.”
The 1.9-second run was good enough to tie Henderson for the win, backing up Martinez’s Weatherford title with another Texas Circuit check.
Martinez has gone to Texas rodeos the last few years, and with only a handful of circuit rodeos left, her goal is clear: make the Texas Circuit Finals. She did not enter El Paso or Pecos because she thought she would still be at the College National Finals in Casper, Wyoming, making Belton and Mesquite next on her list.
Martinez prefers rodeos and the stronger setups that come with them, something she said she and her family practice for at home.
“I like the rodeos more,” Martinez said. “I guess I get more experience on the stronger setups. We practice a lot at home like that, and that’s what I like—where it’s not just like everybody chunk it. So I do enjoy those kind of setups.”
Suzie is one Martinez’s family knows from the beginning. Her sister and brother-in-law had the mare’s dam and raised Suzie. Martinez’s family bought the mare when she was around 4, and Martinez started roping on her from there.
“She is so talented,” Martinez said. “She’s just got an attitude as big as Texas that it’s hard sometimes to get along with her. But when she does work good, I do the best on her. It’s just a consistency we’re still working on.”
Some weekends, Martinez said, Suzie feels like she does not want to win. She might run 80%, stop early or not score great. The next weekend, she can be the total opposite.
“I think it’s a little bit hormonal,” Martinez said, laughing. “I can’t blame her. We’re still working on how to best help her with that.”
That process has taught Martinez as much about herself as it has about the horse. When Suzie gets tough, Martinez’s mom often asks her what the Lord is trying to show her through the mare.
“She has been a good reflection of myself,” Martinez said. “Just so like, ‘Well, do I have attitude? What is it that I need to learn from this situation?’ So that’s been a huge thing. Wouldn’t do it without Jesus, that’s for sure.”
Martinez’s faith is the foundation of her mental game. She does the work at home, then tries to leave the outcome in God’s hands when she gets to the rodeo.
“When I head to the rodeo, my preparation is done,” Martinez said. “It’s kind of like the Bible verse, ‘The horse is prepared for the day of battle, but victory belongs to the Lord.’ So that’s kind of where we’re at when I show up. I’m as prepared, and my horse is as prepared as they can be, but honestly, it’s up to what the Lord wills, and we’re going to glorify him either way.”
Martinez’s dad has been one of her biggest influences in the roping pen, and when he is not working, he is often on the road with her and her mom. She also credits Tom Ferguson with helping her from the time she was young.
“When I was little, we would go spend a lot of time with him,” Martinez said. “Now every time I rope or anything, he always gets a video, and then we get a phone call.”
With Weatherford and Gladewater adding $7,352 to her Texas Circuit total, Martinez found the kind of two-rodeo stretch that can help kick off a good summer run. But for her, the wins still come back to the same things: preparation, faith, family and a mare who can make it easy when she decides she wants to.
